As the world retreated into lockdown during the pandemic, Jordan picked up a tufting gun and started to create. Finding this artistic outlet, rug-making evolved from a hobby into a company as he continued his creations and founded Floor Fetish. From snails to Spaghettios, his project has captured it all… in rug form. Floor Fetish creates handmade rugs for every occasion, and also offers classes in the art of tufting in its home state, Oregon. We sat down with Jordan to hear about the company from its inception to today, as well as learn his goals in bringing art into the community in this more unconventional form.
Hey Jordan, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. As a born and raised Oregonian, a city bubbling with creativity, how do you think that environment led you to where you are now?
Thank you! Nice to speak with you as well. I think growing up in Portland really shaped the way that I view art because it has always been so accessible. Everywhere you look there is street art and stickers, expressive fashion, and a culture of acceptance for all things weird. It has been very encouraging to try new things when there is such a DIY attitude from everyone around, which has really pushed me to explore my own creativity. Plus, being surrounded by nature can bring out artistic inspiration in anybody.
You started the Floor Fetish project in 2020, I assume that the pandemic played a major role in that?
Definitely! I picked up tufting as a hobby to keep myself busy when everything was locked down. I quickly became a bit obsessed, and now it is my whole life. I found it to be a good creative outlet, oddly meditative, and tactile enough to not feel so stuck in the times.
What inspired you to enter this new field and what are your memories from those early moments?
I was really inspired by some of the content I had come across on social media, and felt it was a really interesting way to bring art to life. The memories I have from when I first started are full of patience and frustration, constant research, along with trial and error. None of it was easy, but I really wanted to figure it out and just took it day by day. Persistence was key.
I’m curious: what were you doing before making rugs?
Before I made rugs full time, I managed a doctor's office, dealing mainly with insurance companies and billing issues with patients. It was bureaucratic, monotonous, and a tad soul-crushing.
It’s been five years now, so you have enough experience in this world. What’s the process of getting into rug-making been like, and how do you feel you’ve evolved with time?
It’s truly been a journey! My process of getting into rug-making was head first, and not what I recommend to anyone today. Tufting can be an expensive hobby, so at first when I wanted to quit, I felt like I had invested too much to stop. Thankfully I didn’t, and it’s become my career. Still now, I am always learning and pushing myself to try new things, with the same dedication to trial and error as I had in the beginning. Finding the best materials, making or sourcing new tools, and figuring out what actually works in order to make pieces that last generations. Over time, I have leaned more into my own creativity, gotten better at accepting my mistakes, and settled into a daily practice of creating.
The name, Floor Fetish, is pretty curious. You say your partner came up with it, but still, would like to know more about it.
The initial appeal for the name was that it *was* curious, cheeky, and weird. My partner and I keep lists of names, phrases, etc. that we come up with, so when we get an idea for something, it gets added to the list and we can brainstorm further. We had a few other contenders for the business. The name Floor Fetish fit the vibe I was going for, and was unique and creative enough to draw people in.
What are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve experienced within the industry and how have you worked to adapt to them?
The biggest challenges I face are time, and the constant need to maintain all aspects of the business including social media, marketing, customer relations, sourcing materials, etc. Life happens so fast, so it’s difficult to stay consistent in all the things that bring success. I enjoy all aspects of the process but it can become unbalanced and overwhelming very easily, so I do my best to stick to a procedure and focus on projects that I am passionate about. It has also been difficult to maintain suppliers with tariffs heavily affecting the cost of goods, which I hope can be resolved soon.
You mention that your designs are inspired by tattoo artists, and you recently collaborated with a tattoo studio. I was wondering how these two seemingly very different forms of art are so compatible.
That is a really good question! I think they work together so well because of tattoo artists’ inherent creativity, line work, and use of colour. Generally tattoo artists use bold lines, solid blocks of colour, and imagery that translates really well into tufting and textiles. Tufting and tattooing are both ways of creating a functional version of art that has not always been possible, so I think it’s only natural that those two avenues find each other.
“I hope that my art inspires people to see what a little time and dedication can do for them; that if you take it one step at a time, everything becomes much less complicated or overwhelming.”
Now that you are offering private classes in your home, how are they going? And what do you hope customers/students take away from these lessons?
The classes are going really well! I have always been interested in teaching and creating with others, so it was a natural progression. Tufting can be hard without instruction, and an expensive hobby for someone to try out independently, so I wanted to make it more accessible. I always hope my students have a good time, gain a bit of knowledge, and make a mess along the way. It’s also nice that they get to keep their rug as a physical form of the experience afterwards.
I understand that currently it’s you and your partner behind Floor Fetish. Do you plan on scaling up your company at any point, or do you plan to continue running the brand together? What are some of the pros and cons of your current business model?
Floor Fetish is mainly a one-man operation spearheaded by myself, although my partner is instrumental in every success in my life, so she definitely deserves credit. I am so proud to be a small business at this time. There is something special about controlling every aspect of my work. It allows me to focus on putting out quality pieces, and really care for the smallest details.
I do plan to scale up the tufting workshop side of the business in the near future, with plans to open a studio location. The primary con I come up against is that there is never enough time to get it all done as quickly as I want to. This has definitely taught me to be patient and strategic in my process.
I do plan to scale up the tufting workshop side of the business in the near future, with plans to open a studio location. The primary con I come up against is that there is never enough time to get it all done as quickly as I want to. This has definitely taught me to be patient and strategic in my process.
Beyond the company, I imagine maintaining a relationship with your partner separate from work could be difficult. How do you maintain a healthy working and personal relationship?
At first it was very difficult to maintain; I was just trying to keep it all together and felt pressure to keep up the momentum of my work, which meant sacrificing personal time and activities that my partner and I typically did together. Over time, and with reminders from her, I have become much more intentional with the way I spend my ‘off’ time, and have learned to take the occasional rest day. Most importantly, she and I trust one another, and offer good-will in knowing that we are doing what is best for our future.
Do you have a favourite project you have created, and what makes it particularly special for you?
I have a couple of favourite projects, one of them being the tattoo studio rug you mentioned earlier. It was a bit of a full circle moment with that one, because I collaborated with the owner of the tattoo studio early on in the founding of Floor Fetish, which really gained me exposure to social media and helped sustain me with other projects during that time. When Kat (@happyfishhead) asked me to make a rug for the studio she recently took over, I was thrilled. Another project that was a huge milestone for me was making eight 25’ long snake rugs for the hotel The Lafayette in San Diego, California. It was the largest and first commercial project I had worked on, and really marked a turning point in my career.
You mention your pets “appreciate the lifestyle that comes along with a work from home parent who creates warm fuzzy things to sleep on top of.” You even mention them as co-workers! Do you use them as reliable testers of your products?
I wouldn’t call them reliable, but they do take their job very seriously when they show up! Whether I like it or not, they test the materials or finished products thoroughly. It is difficult to photograph finished pieces without them intruding. Creating art can be a very isolating experience, so it is nice having the company of my pets for sure.
You have said that some of your hobbies outside of tufting include hiking and travel. Has running your own business allowed you to be more flexible with your schedule, and how have you stayed connected with these interests?
Yes and no. I definitely have a more flexible schedule, but I find myself working much more now that I am self-employed. I am still learning how to shut work off, and travel really forces that on you. I find a lot of my inspiration in hiking and nature, so I’ve been much more intentional with adding that into my creative process.
Lastly, you said that art “brings the best part of people together.” How do you hope your company is impacting others in the community?
I hope that my art inspires people to see what a little time and dedication can do for them; that if you take it one step at a time, everything becomes much less complicated or overwhelming. I hope more people continue to support small artists and creators, because their work carries an energy with it that you can feel in your space. The world needs more weird art made from the heart.
